ABSTRACT
One night, some ladies formed a sort of impromptu dancing-school in the drawing-room of an hotel in France. Their movements are not graceful, but they fall short of grace by something so sweetly humorous that the people only admire them the more. It gives the reader pleasure to see the beginning of gracious impulses and the springs of harmonious movement laid bare to the people with innocent simplicity. There was something quite fresh and poignant in the delight the author took in her imperfect movements. Now, there are many reasons why this gracelessness of young children should be pretty and sympathetic to the reader. And again, there is a prolongation of expectancy when, as in these movements of children, the people are kept continually on the very point of attainment and ever turned away and tantalised by some humorous imperfection.
